This invention relates to a seat operated device for automatically placing the transmission of a vehicle in neutral when the seat is unoccupied.
Mechanisms of this general type have heretofore been proposed and are described for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,265,150 Automatic Return To Neutral Mechanism for Vehicle Transmission issued Aug. 9, 1966 and 3,700,062 Neutral Device for Internal Combustion Engine Powered Trucks issued Oct. 24, 1972. Devices of this type as well as the one disclosed in this application are safety devices which are designed to prevent undesired movement of the vehicle, such as a tractor or lift truck, for example, when a driver is not occupying the seat. In the device of the invention herein, for example, if a driver should be thrown from or fall from the seat, the seat will move to a linkage non-actuating position and permit the manually operable transmission control lever to move to a neutral position, and with the control lever in such a neutral position the vehicle transmission cannot be put into gear.